How Long Does A Way Out Take to Beat?

By Matt Morgans 24 May 2018

Hazelight Studios’ upcoming cooperative prison escape game, A Way Out, is due to release later this month, and new details have emerged concerning the game’s length and development. This includes the level of involvement that EA has had with Hazelight Studios.

Speaking in a recent interview, Josef Fares, the creator and director of A Way Out, was as outspoken as ever concerning his studio’s vision for the game. Fares made headlines at the 2017 Game Awards when he criticized both the Oscars with expletives and gestured with his middle finger at the camera. The ever-impassioned director was similarly blunt this month when speaking about A Way Out, stating in reference to EA’s perceived failings that “they sh*t and take a pee like everybody else,” although his frequent outbursts do not seem to have impacted relations between Hazelight Studios and EA.

Fares stated that most players would take between 6 and 8 hours to complete A Way Out. Although this may seem short, and will no doubt disappoint some looking forward to the game, it is worth noting that A Way Out will cost less than half the retail price of a typical major release; retailing at just $29.99. Fares also addressed the fact that the game is an entirely cooperative experience, stating that he would turn down $10 million to make a single-player-only game. Despite the game’s cooperative nature, A Way Out does not feature matchmaking.

Although the game relies on players connecting directly with one another, A Way Out does feature an unusual, and likely quite attractive feature – friends of those who own a copy of the game can play through the entire game cooperatively for free with that friend by simply downloading a trial of the game and connecting to an owner of the game with it.

During his interview, Fares emphasized EA’s lack of oversight and its hands-off attitude towards Hazelight Studios. Although the studio, which previously created Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons, started development of A Way Out with just 10 people and has since grown to a team of 40, EA has apparently seen fit not to interfere. “If EA wants to make an apple greener,” said Fares, “I can say no.” Fares explained that EA will also make nothing from the sales of A Way Out – 100% of the sales revenue will go to Hazelight Studios, with EA solely providing some support and marketing to the studio. Additionally, in sharp contrast to EA’s recent major titles, A Way Out will not feature microtransactions. Fares was emphatic in stating that he would never make a game that includes them.

A Way Out will release later this month for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC.